May 27, 2009

  • Footprints Feedback

    We’ve been hearing anecdotally that some users are browsing Xanga less because of Footprints.

    Personally, I do browse a bit less because I know people will see my footprints… but I also browse more, b/c sometimes I surf my Footprints and click back to other people. Net net, my browsing is probably about the same?

    But in talking to Xangans, we’re hearing the same story from a number of people:

    • People are browsing other people’s sites less…
    • But they love seeing who is visiting their site!

    Overall though, they’re visiting less pages since we launched Footprints doh.

    Two quick questions:

    1) Do you browse less because of you know people can see your Footprints?
    2) Do you have your settings set to browse anonymously, or to Footprints Lock?

    Please let us know! We’d love to get a better sense for how people are using Footprints…

Comments (457)

  • 1) I don’t browse less. I love having people see me on their site… it’s like a personal ad. Lol. ;D

    2) Nope.

  • I just like to see who is reading my blogs, and when random people browse my site, I check out theirs…

    I have my account set to footprints lock (i think) so I don’t worry about it, and even if they CAN see my footprints, at least they know they’re loved…?

  • Yes, I limit my stalking, ahem, browsing because of footprints.  I mainly would be happy if I can just see if someone is looking at my page…I don’t need to know who.

  • I browse the same considering I wasn’t here when there was no footprint tracks.

    You should keep them anyhow. Because you can just use 3rd party trackers in modules to do the same thing anyhow.

  • I log on to xanga all day.  I’m slightly addicted.  However, I don’t click on other people as much because it’s almost stalkerish the amount I’m on.  I don’t wanna be the internet creeper.  ♥

  • I hate to admit that I do browse around less with Footprints.  But at the same time, I’m much happier with footprints.  I think that it’s important for Xanga to have built-in security features.  Facebook needs something like this, it’s important to be able to see who’s been viewing your page, because if someone is spending hours stalking you and observing your every picture down to the most minute details then you have a problem.  With footprints, it helps the people who would otherwise be stalkers force themselves to have some control.  I use another anti-stalker module, so anyone who has “browse anonymously” selected still shows up. 

  • 1) No
    2) I did not even know that I could do that. I am not going to, but I am just saying, I did not know it was possible. XD

  • i used to check who was visiting, but now i don’t care and i completely ignore the feature. so what if people saw i visited. big whoop.

    so in summation i guess i don’t use or care about this feature at all. i am indifferent bordering on positive.

  • Essentially, a paradox. It’s creepy knowing others know you’re stalking them. It’s fun knowing others are stalking you.

  • I don’t browse less and I’ve found some amazing people via my footprints.  I wouldn’t change it for the world.

  • I like them because I don’t browse anonymously so that way people may visit my site.

  • 1. It hasn’t really changed for me. I like to see who is reading mine, so it’s only fair if someone else knows when I am on their page. Plus, if someone new is visiting when I check footprints, it makes me want to return the favor and see their page and find out more about my new visitor.

    2. I have footprints lock on, mostly because I used to have so many anonymous footprints when the feature was added. I’d like to know who is looking.

  • I doubt it has anything to do with footprints unless people are paranoid. But I  think since you have put reply in people are just naturally lazy they just do not visit. Now they even reply to gorups instead of individuals. How lazy can you get. Hey this is a social network isn’t it. Then it can’t be one sided. Judi

  • I browse xanga less because I think half of the featured content is crap AND if I read an entry that turns out to be shitty, I don’t want my visit to be misconstrued as, “I visited here and actually read through this crap entry.”  If it could show that I was only there for a few seconds and left because if I stayed there any longer, I would’ve gouged my eyes out, that would be cool.

    I miss the old xanga.

    No, srsly, though, I don’t browse nearly as often because I don’t want everyone to know I viewed their xanga.  Sometimes I don’t mind, but most of the time I do.  I’d browse anonymously, but I’d like to see who views my xanga.

  • I like to see and leave footprints and I browse as often as I can,I usually comment if I go to a site and leave footprints.You can browse without anonymously  so what is the problem?

  • I love the footprints and it doesn’t bother me to have people see that I was there.  I keep the footprints lock on.  We are all grownups, why be goofy about letting people know we dropped by?

  • Yeah, I do limit my browsing because I don’t want someone to think I’m stalking them by flipping through every page (I can’t help it if it’s interesting!). But, I do like the footprint feature because it lets me read other blogs that I probably wouldn’t have found on my own.

  • kinda like the footprints and also footprints tell others ive been by… soo nope dont mind…

  • I love Footprints.
    I remember before Footprints, people would just go to other websites and get codes for “xtrackers” and stuff.

    But anyway, I browse more because it seems to bring more traffic to my site.  People go in their Footprints and they’re like “OMG Who is that?!”  /click
    More potential readers.  =P

  • No for both questions.

  • 1. No.  If, for some reason, I didn’t want someone to know I was on their site, I’d just sign out and then go there.
    2. No. I don’t obsess about footprints.

  • I don’t browse less because of footprints. If anything, it should bring more traffic to your site. 

  • it doesnt stop me from browsing, in fact, sometimes i like it because even if im not currently plugged and i dont leave a comment on that persons page, they still have the opportunity to find an interest in my blog because i know they will see my footprints.

    also, the only reason why i am comfortable with plugging my site is because i can see when and how often certain people see my site. that way if a certain person seems sketchy and they visit my blog alot and i block them, but without footprints i wouldnt even know.

    honestly if you guys decide to get rid of footprints then i probably take my site off of being public, so please dont.

  • I like seeing who is visiting my site and what pages are referring my site.

  • I don’t browse anon, seems silly. Don’t browse less because of them either. Don’t really pay attention to them either way besides keeping track of how my site is doing as far as traffic…

  • You can go around anonymously but those sites with IP Trackers installed can still see you, people.

  • I have footprint-lock on, but I have minor paranoia issues.

    My browsing habits don’t depend on footprints, but on… Y’know, the amount of time I have to spend on Xanga.

  • I don’t browse less.  It is part of my daily routine to see who has honored me with a stop by my site to read a post.  I am as appreciative of them almost as much as those who leave comments.

  •  I LOVE the footprints feature!!! In my opinion, it is the one absolute STAR feature that Xanga has and other social networking sites don’t!  I hope you keep it. The people who don’t like leaving footprints can always turn them off…. I personally, like seeing who is visiting my page and what they’re coming to read too!! :)

  • Yes, leaving my footprints does make me curb my browsing.  It’s a shame that people consider it stalking to look at someone’s site though.  I don’t browse anonymously or have footprints lock.

  • 1. No
    2. It doesn’t matter to me.

  • i don’t browse less coz of footprints…   why would i?

    i think those who don’t want their footprints to be seen by blog owner can just log off and browse the blog…   and if that blog have sign in lock, then it means you can read but your footprints is visible…   shouldn’t be any real problem there…
    i let anyone view my blog, so no sign in lock…  others may have because they WANT to know who view them…   so it’s fair for them to know…
    so i think it is okay as it is…

  • No and no. 

  • I think I browse more. : )

    and i have footprints lock on.

  • If anything, I browse more because I know people can see my Footprints and therefore they tend to visit me back.  I’ve also decided I no longer care if people think I’m a stalker because I leave too many Footprints on their pages.

    I don’t browse Xanga anonymously, and I don’t enable Footprints Lock.

  • nup… browse the same as before

  • i love them both ways. and the stalker issue is eliminated when you find a site you want to read – just send a quick comment to the person telling them exactly that! “yo, i dig your sh*t and i’m going to chill here for a while…” then they are happy to know you are diggin’ their sh*t and then they come and dig yours too! ♦

  • Why is this a problem? You can just turn them off if you don’t want people to know…and if people want to see who you are then you have to have them on. Everybody gets what they want.

  • I’ve complained about Footprints since they were implemented.  Yes, I browse anonymously.  Yes, I hate Footprints. 

    It disconnects me from people I would otherwise like to interact with more, because while I can read their posts on my Subs page, I can’t comment to them because they have Footprints lock on, and I won’t give up my freedom to browse anonymously.So I might have opinions on their pictures, summer vacation, or new hairstyle, but they’ll never know it.  In return, they tend to comment on me much less often – Xanga reciprocity and all.

    The end result is I haven’t bothered blogging here in months.

  • I visits sites I normally would not because of them. I see that someone reads a lot of my site I go and see who they are. I like footprints and I do not mind leaving them

  • I browse a lot anyway..it doesnt matter
    there are many IP trackers out there already…

    so..I guess what I’m saying is…
    Yes I stalk your site..I dont care really…if your entries sound cool, hell yes Imma see them.

    if you are creeped out by it…my bad…but…you are on a public blogging site are you not?

    you wont get this feedback on blogger.

    I like to know whos viewing my stuff.

    I dont mind who views my stuff…but on occasion..the bots annoy me.

  • I have mine set in footprint lock.  I don’t browse less BECAUSE of footprint issue. Footprint is why I chose Xanga to do my personal blogging.

  • I’m a footprint fan.   It doesn’t bother me nor stops me from browsing other people’s sites.  AND I really like seeing who’s been visiting mine………. SO PLEASE KEEP THEM.   V

  • I don’t really mind footprints. I do mind them, however, when the same person refreshes the same blog several times, or they (miraculously) manage to click on my profile, my recent blog, my chat board, and several parts of my site within seconds of each other. Oh and I do not have a block on them since i like to know who is visiting my site and what/who referred them to my site. It is quite useful, if you know how to handle it to your comfort.

  • 1) No, What is the big deal? Who the fuck cares if someone knows you’re going to their site unless you’re a creepy stalker.  I don’t care if someone looks thru my whole site.  I’m flattered and don’t assume anything about that person.

    2) No.

  • i browse the same, and i <3 seeing who has been to my site = ] and also, if i dont wanna let them know, i ll sign out and get on their site

  • I really like knowing who comes to my site, and then going and seeing theirs. I don’t browse anonymously, and I don’t browse less because of footprints. I think it helps us meet one another.

  • Neither?  I really don’t care about footprints, although I have made really good friends on Xanga just by dropping by their site and them seeing my footprints.

  • when they work right I love them.{so I can see where the traffic is coming from}..I don’t care if anyone sees my footprints on their site, it does not bother me in the least bit

  • I like having footprints b/c then I can see which of my older posts are being accessed and how people have gotten there, e.g.-from google and other various search engines and also what they’ve been searching for. Otherwise I really have no idea who’s been reading what. It doesn’t matter to me whether I can identify the person or not, I’m more interested in knowing what people are reading and I do hope it is helpful to them. Though I don’t get a lot of hits on my posts when I first put them up, I will sometimes continue to have regular traffic to some of them, e.g.-I’ve written a lot about sin and guilt and people, and there are posts like that which people come to visit fairly regularly.

    That said, as I put up new posts, it’s nice to see which of my friends/subscribers is stopping in to visit my site.

  • I browse less because people can see where I came from and who I am. Yes, I am slightly irked by the fact that big brother must watch everywhere I go hence I go nowhere. At least when I’m here.

  • I tend to use the new front page for browsing, so visit only those sites I know I want to see or to comment on.  I do often see how many people visited a post, also noticing if there’s a preponderance of odd visits, but have no problems with footprints as they are.

  • i love the footprints and i love checking to see who came to my page, it’s nice to know that people are browsing.  plus, i love browsing and reading people’s blogs and commenting them.

  • … in a way, I do… in another way, it’s about the same (browsing/stalking) …

    I like to roam around on my friends’ pages and leave a bunch of footprints — just to let them know that ” HAY. I WAS HERE. I READ THIS. ” — when I don’t have enough time to make a decent comment to let them know … and it fills me with happiness when my friends stumbles around on my page, leaving footprints (because, then, I know that they’ve read what I’d have typed … just not enough time to type a comment or still thinking of a response/etc.) … — but that’s just… generally with my friends and me…

    but ugh … I DON’T like to browse OUTSIDE of my little circle — because I don’t like to… leave… my … footprints on a stranger’s page … because I like to be anonymous… sometimes, it’s just like.. passing through and you see an interesting post/comment made by someone… and you want to look further into it / maybe read the person’s profile or something (just to see if you’ve got anything in common and if you found a potential friend?) … annnd yah… sometimes, you’re just reading and looking at people’s pages out of curosity… and yah. … Leaving my footprints would lead other curious people to stumble on my page — and well … I don’t really like it when people read my posts (since they’re more or less personal things…) so, I guess, I’m the opposite of most people here? (XANGAISLIKEMYSECRETDIARY) …… soooo …. I guess, I like to know who’s stalking around on my page and reading my entries … but I don’t like it… as… much when I go to strangers’ pages, leaving footprints … it’s a funnily uneasy feeling … heh. … but I guess, that wouldn’t matter much now…. because I’ve FriendLocked my Xanga……. so yes, I guess, I do like the FootPrints.

    Ahhh that was long… D:

    … more like, pointlessly long and repetitive hoghad! *fleesquickly*

  • I like to leave my footprints so that others may browse me back.

  • I like it.  Makes it easier to keep tabs on who is still reading.  If I wanted to browse anonymously, I’d just sign out.  Seriously, if you guys got rid of that feature, it would be like 10 steps back.

  • I used to browse less, but I don’t care anymore. I would like to browse anonymously, but it really, really frustrates me that people can lock out others just because the visitors don’t want to be tracked.

  • I haven’t lessened my browsing, and I don’t always look at the footprints on my site.  I know a few of my friends love that feature, though.

  • i like to know who’s reading my site yet i don’t really wanna leave prints so ppl think i’m stalking them.  kind of a dilemna….

  • I browse slightly less because of foot prints. There are other tracking programs though that people will start to use again if you discontinue foot prints. 

  • simply… dont do things you wouldnt want someone knowing your doing. we have every right to know who is looking at our sites. its like… knowing who is coming in and out of our houses… you wouldnt allow people to unknowingly make theirselves welcome, ecspecially when your not home, would you? 

  • I definitely browse less because of footprints.

  • footprints suck
    better w/o them

  • 1. nope
    2. footprints lock on.because I found someone googled my account before and it freaked me out.

  • If people are really so paranoid about seeing me reading their stuff, their publically posted stuff, that’s their problem. I rarely worry about the footprints I’m leaving.

    …But I would avoid reading too far back, because leaving too MANY footprints could worry someone legitimately.

    So it’s both?

    I use neither footprints lock not do I browse anon.

  • I actually browse more than before. I just feel like what’s the point of browsing if no one knows you’ve been there? Not only that, I like knowing who has been to my site because then I can check out their site too!

  • @EaTxYoUxALivE - well said

  • 1)  No

    2)  No

    I don’t have a problem with the footprints ‘issue’.  Thanks Xanga Team ~ you rock!!!

  • I browse just as much with footprints as without. I’m rather indifferent about whether or not someone knows I went to their page. As for people leaving their footprints on mine, well, I suppose they found something I said interesting in order to browse over, so perhaps they have something interesting to say as well.

    I don’t use “Browse Anonymously” or “Footprint Lock.”

  • 1) Honestly, I do browse around less because I know leaving my footprints everywhere will seem slightly stalkerish. But, I do visit people who appear in my footprints, so as you said it does even things out.

    2) Nope, neither.

  • I like to know who is visiting my sites,  I like gettig footprints.

    However I have noticed a drop in people visiting are browsing less.

  • i most definetly browse less…D:

    but i still think footprints are great.

  • This is STUPID.

    Like, really.

    If someone creates a Xanga account, they should be aware of the following:

    1) This is an ONLINE journal. So, unless you don’t want other people to browse or read what you’ve written, then you might as well opt for the notebook and pen journal.

    2) Activating the Footprints Lock or making your Xanga private defeats the purpose of making a journal ONLINE. In this age, people can get inside your accounts no matter how many security passwords you create or something because other people are more intelligent than you are when it comes to gadgets. There’ll be hackers who can get inside your accounts inevitably.

    3) What have you got to hide anyway? I mean, if you’re a writer and you want to make a journal of your life, why HIDE it? That’s why there are comment boxes, so that people can interact with each other. Like, DUH.

  • I absolutely do not browse less because of footprints. If someone is that paranoid, they can log out first. Meanwhile, I actually browse more, for exactly the reason you mentioned. I find the feature useful, and am among those who believe that it should not only remain, but be expanded upon.

  • No and yes.

  • I don’t browse less, and I appreciate the feature!

  • how do I know who visited my site?

  • Hardly look at them for my own… I don’t care that people see me come by but it is a little intrusive, when one of the wonders of the web is that you can see things anonymously. If I want to let people know I was there, I leave a comment or just eProps.

    Maybe removing footprints will encourage people to be more proactive in leaving reader feedback… just a “hi, I came by” or “This was interesting thanks” encourages bloggers to post.

  • I definitely browse LESS!  I have grown pretty disenchanted with footprints.  It’s kind of creepy to me, like I’m being stalked, which I know (or at least hope) isn’t true.  But I find I don’t want to click back on those people who visit me.  It’s like voyeurism to me.  I don’t really know how to better describe it, sorry.  I just know that my Xanga browsing has decreased enormously over the past year plus, and that’s kind of sad….

  • Eh, I don’t browse less because of footprints. And I have mine on footprints lock because I do like seeing who is looking through my stuff. I actually really like the footprints feature. 8]

  • 1. I still browse. What’s wrong if they see my footprint?

    2. Nope.

  • 1) Do you browse less because of you know people can see your Footprints?
    No. I look at other blogs, so I don’t mind if they want to read mine (after adding me).
    2) Do you have your settings set to browse anonymously, or to Footprints Lock?
    I have mine set to “friends only” for now. But in a few months, I will set it so all signed-in users can read my blog.

    The people who want to view other blogs without leaving footprints sound like stalkers.

  • I dont browse less because of a little feature…

    I love leaving footprints, coz when more people checked their footprints and they can easily get in my site to have a look! that’s one of the most interesting things in xanga.

    Also isn’t it not fun to have known who and when they had arrived to my site and what did they look at?

  • i never worry about the footprints i leave. this is a public blog i figure people like traffic and being read.  and i like seeing the footprints i get.

  • I love being able to see footprints and no I do not browse less. I actually browse more because I love to visit people who stopped by my page.

    DON”T TAKE AWAY FOOTPRINTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • 1) No
    2) Footprints Lock
    I don’t mind leaving footprints generally.
    And I’d also like to know who has read my posts.
    :)

  • footprints…stalking….I didn’t know any of this ….!!!

  • 1) I do the same amount of browsing

    2) No

  • i dont care if people see me on their sites but i would like to know who have been to my site :)

  • 1) Yes, I love going through random Xangans’ pictures but I don’t want to seem like a big stalker. Sometimes I see that other people browse through each and every link anonymously and I have mixed feelings about it — I’m glad they liked my site that much but I really wonder why they’re so interested, haha.

    2) Nope. I make my mark and let others do the same if they wish.

  • John, you’ve been against any sort of tracking of those who read our sites all along, you made public posts discussing how to bypass the trackers years ago, and now here we go again with this. Footprints are good to have, they allow us to know exactly what is happening on our sites, and that is important. You’ve been against any sort of control features for us to use to keep unwanted people off our sites, against ISP blocks even when the ‘votes’ showed that many, many want that feature as well as footprints. I wonder why you keep trying to force us to allow anyone that wishes to be on our sites to be there? We have a right to NOT have people read…and NOT be forced to go underground in order to have a few troublemakers stay off our sites.

  • Browse less.

  • I think footprints are a good idea, keeps communication two-sided.

  • 1) no
    2) no
    because if I wish to browse anon, I would adjust the settings!
    Yes, sometimes I want to know who tiptoes over to watch my blogs…

  • I like seeing who stops by and I don’t mind leaving footprints on others’ sites… I have a lock on so that only those w/ footprints can stop by my site… I get unnerved with anonymous people coming over. Please keep the footprints option!

  • I’m fine with footprints the way they are. If someone wants to browse anonymously, then they have that option. 

  • 1. same.
    2.  lock.

  • I browse using footprints. 

    I am fairly new and I LIKE going to other sights, leaving my footprint.

    Keep the footprints going!

  • i browse and don’t mind if people know i’ve been there.  i look to see who’s been at my site.  if i see a name keep popping up i’ll click on it.  if it’s just a blank page i at least give them a few chances to just tell me who they are.  if no response then i block them.  simple as that.  i’m not paranoid, i’m just curious and i think people should be open and honest about who[m] they are if they want to hover.

    i do block people w/o footprints simply because of that.  kind of the wizard of oz effect.  seriously.  if you’re so great, why hide behind a curtain?

    i, for the most part, write drivel, so i keep it open.  i think the only people i’ve blocked are people who were known to do nothing but harass or continue to show up and not acknowledge my questions as to who they are, and i don’t have time for that nonsense.

    if people perceive their writing to be so great that they feel they have to block out all but a special few for fear of someone stealing their words, then they need to be published authors.  get their words out to the world so we can all see just how great they are.

    i don’t do friends lock for the same reason.  i don’t get into the whole idea of cliques and whatnot.  can’t comment on a lot of old friends sites anymore because of it, but that’s my choice, isn’t it?

    on the otherhand, there are people who have been stupidly harrassed by idiots and crazies to the point of insanity and i respect their right to block however and whomever they please. 

    and i don’t think i answered your question at all.  i think i just did my normal rambling.  and on that note, i’ll be off. 

    have a good rest of the week, john boy.

  • I think footprints are vital if you have a protected blog with a public front page that ~isn’t~ listed in the xanga directory and has no RSS or search engine availability.  I have caught more automated fake xanga sites that way and blocked them.  When I see a Xanga user footprint show up out of the blue with no referral on that blog, how did it find me?  And then when I go to that xanga site and there are no posts at all and a hundred welcome messages that aren’t responded to, that’s a fake xanga.  I’m not thrilled that bots can find my protected unlisted blog without even having to go through a directory, and I HOPE that worries you guys, too.  So in that case, footprints are vital information for me.

    I also triangulate footprints with site meter and a xanga stalker module (html available on search engines).  All three have their flaws, but between all three I’m able to see most of the visitors, whether they are search engines or whatever.  Xanga footprints has some pretty big holes in it, you do NOT see all your visitors.  I like that it shows the web crawlers, though, and sometimes I can see later search engine referral hits coming in from them.

    If you are simply just blogging your yap out, this stuff may not mean much to the average blogger.  But I have articles on several blogs that people all over the world ask permission to use in college papers or speeches, and one of my blogs is a fan site and it’s really cool seeing over 60 different countries represented in my trackers.  (I’ve counted.)  Of course, I had to double up with site meter to be able to see the stats better.  Xanga footprints are USEFUL to me, please don’t take them away.

    @moniet - And I totally agree with this one, have actually had to use xanga security to block a stalker on another blog, and it gets really creepy when you run into someone in another state in a public place and they initiate threats of harm to the point of involving state police and building security.  I shouldn’t have to lock down public blogs other people enjoy just because a person like this can so easily hide themselves from me seeing them.

    I also think it would be helpful if there were a Footprint Guide.  So many people get freaked out by automated web crawlers, and many times you can’t tell the difference between a live person and an automated bot in the footprints.  And on this blog I’m using now, Natalie had to help me out with a crawler that got stuck in a loop and kept hitting one post over and over for days and days, running up the views on that post, and it wasn’t even a real person.  Glitches like that need to be ~explained~.

    Also, I only use footprint lock on the protected blog.  I WANT my public blogs to be as accessible as possible.

    Oh, yeah, and between my triangulated trackers, I have caught proxy users and nailed them down to original locations.  Just because a footprint gives you the name of a state or country, that isn’t rock hard evidence your visitor is actually *there* at the time of the footprint.  It’s amazing how buying local internet service will show up on a laptop moving around the globe.

    Seriously, you regular bloggers using only footprints– you have no *idea*.  I’ve also caught people pretending to be a friend of mine with one xanga site, passing it around between themselves, but site meter was able to show me that site logged in from 3 different states within 2 hours.  So just because you use footprint lock, that means ~nothing~ if someone is duping you.

  • I like the footprints. they have let me find very interesting people and have let other people make comments to my page.

  • I love footprints, but I hate how one comment leaves four or five on others’ sites. It looks stalkerish if you leave 12 footprints, but only left 3 comments. I don’t browse anon, and I do like to visit new people who leave ones on my site (and to see where they came from).

    I occasionally put signin lock on to get rid of the bots when they seem out of control, but not footprints or friends lock.

  • I browse regardless if I leave footprints or not. And in the layout community we base our feedback on the traffic that we get a week. Some sites get over 2k footprints a week. Others get only 200. Personally I think people who don’t like footprints are paranoid. I have people who come to my site and read my writings but don’t comment. I don’t mind. I just think they liked whatever they read that makes them keep coming back.

  • 1. Nope. I don’t browse often, period. This has nothing to do with footprints.
    2. Neither. I know one rl friend (who don’t have xanga) who may read my xanga, so I don’t turn on footprint lock, friend lock, or even sign-in lock.

    But I do have reservations about how accurate these footprints are, first given the strange ways page views work, second because of the suspiciously high number of unknown footprints, and third because i once got myself in a “semi-signed-off” state where i can browse my own private posts but can’t read my friends’ posts…

  • Yep. At first I visited pages like crazy, but then I found out about footprints. That and I almost always mobile, I’m not able to view footprints, and I don’t really like people feeling stalked. It’s not my intention, but I don’t get live updates mobile(y?). (I don’t have a computer.)

  • @little_potato - Oh, I don’t mind footprints.  It’s just weird when one action leaves so many.  I don’t mind when people do it on my site, but you never know how other people perceive it.    Some people get a little funny about it.  My intention is not to make people uncomfortable.

  • @impossibleangles - why would it? many things could leave footprints this way. the back button, the new Firefox feature of restoring tabs, wanting to leave a comment but decided not to leave at the end (and then repeating this a few times before giving up), just wanting to read comments (a very valid reason imho), etc.… a lot of times one visit seems to generate two footprints anyway, i don’t see why the number of footprints by one person, even when it is compared to the number of comments, can be meaningful. heck i don’t even consider the number of comments a meaningful stat

    i often read friends’ entries and leave a footprint (or footprints) even though i can read from my subscriptions without a footprint, just to let him/her know that i am reading. why wouldn’t anyone want that?

  • The footprints to many, is a security feature, because it is basically the only one we have been given that is effectiev enough. I have to ask, why would you remove security simply because a token few don’t like the fact they can’t travel around without Footprints? Those who have footprint lock on their blogs (like me) have it there for very good reasons. Mostly because they want to know who is going there and that those people they don’t know, aren’t.

    Footprints was put on by Xanga as an effort to qwell those of us who were asking for ISP blockers. Something every other blogging site offers for free and without complaint to the time it has taken to create these types of security measures to assure their users are as protected as they need to feel. Yes, I could go to those other sites, but I have a lifetime membership here, and I actually like Xanga since I became a user in 2001.

    Frankly, you get rid of footprints, and you have effectively, once more, made Xanga a playground and home for stalkers. If you aren’t going to keep it, then please put into place something to assure those of us who have had stalking issues feel more secure. Footprints was a weak and feeble attempt at security, but at least it was *something*.

  • I have so few people come through my site that somedays I have NO footprints…lol. But seriously…it doesnt stop me from wandering around Xanga…and sometimes I have found some great folks that way!! There are still some anonymous folks that come through my site…I think some of them are my non-Xanga friends. But of course you have to understand how terribly computer illiterate I am…even if they left footprints I might not know what to do with it!!

  • I browse before I log in so I leave anonymous footprints.

  • i use footprints to see who visits my site :)

  • As a starving writer and poor farmer, I love to see if anybody’s interested in or listening to anything I have to say (the only one listening on the farm is my  Border Collie ).  It’s interesting to see where traffic routes from and has inspiredme to take a bit of my challenged time to look at other sites, as well.  I’d miss the feature if it went away.

  • 1) I don’t pay attention to footprints all that much. I don’t care if people see me on their page.

    2) Whatever the default setting is.

  • From the responses I’ve read most people seem to like Footprints.  I use Footprints and like the feature.

    I think the real value of Footprints is not the person who stops by and reads a page or two but the person who comes by repeatedly and never comments.  Or the person who comes by and reads everything you have ever posted and never comments.  That is when it gets creepy and stalkerish.

    Footprints does not change whether or not I view a site.

  • Hasn’t footprints always been around?

    I don’t even check mine anymore. And I don’t care much, I browse way more than I write.

  • Yes to both questions. I used to shamelessly browse (stalk) but then I started to get very nice (weird) friend requests from extremely sweet (wacko) members, some of which ended up being expelled from Xanga for violation of the Xanga User rules of conduct.

    Overall, I’m fine with the footprints but I think they might be tweaked a bit more but I have no suggestions on exactly how.

  • It doesn’t matter to me if people see my footprints.  I use them to see who’s been visiting, and I’m assuming others do, as well, so I’m glad my footprints show up.  I hope you don’t take them away from us! 

    I addition to footprints, what I would like to see on FB, is the ability to see who has viewed my blog for the day.  FB now tells me how many views I have received, but it doesn’t tell me who it was that visited that blog.  I would like to be able to see that information.

  • 1) Absolutely.
    2) I sacrifice wondering freely through xanga for the knowledge of who looked at my site.

  • It does make me think twice before I visit the site of anyone I believe to be a troll; I don’t want them getting any ideas. Otherwise I don’t mind anybody seeing I read their post; the great majority of my Xanga friends are intelligent and literate types.

    I use Footprints on my own site more or less like a rudimentary Google Analytics– keeping an eye on how people found my blog and what they read. (I also have lots of non-Xanga traffic, so it’s useful to see search terms, etc.) I’m not really interested in personal data; if they like it they’ll leave a comment. As far as I’m concerned, someone is only stalking or trolling if they start leaving inappropriate comments, in which case they’d just get blocked.

    In short, it’s fine with me.

  • I browse anonymously, and I browse less because Footprints Lock leaves me no choice. 

    IMO, Footprints Lock is the most anti-social feature on any website, anywhere.

  • After footprints were introduced, I started to browse less.  But now, it doesn’t really matter to me.  I just explore and check out recommendations, others in the same blogrings, etc…  If I really want to be anonymous, I guess I can just use any ol’ PC in an internet cafe or something. 

    I check my foot prints mostly out of curiosity.  But I don’t check it regularly.  I’ll only do that if I see a spike in traffic. 

  • The fact that you can see who has viewed your page only creates drama in real life for me.  It would be much better if you just couldn’t see anything about the people who’ve viewed your site.

    I mean, you guys even show what proxies have hit you.  That’s just not right.  People use proxies because they don’t want to show up leaving a footprint, but you guys record it anyway!  Then if someone gets hit with a proxy, they often go on a paranoid spree in real life, which just creates more drama.

    Just lose the feature entirely, if you ask me.

  • I was so happy when “footprints” was introduced because, at the time, I was curious who was visiting my site.  Now, I never check footprints (of course I don’t blog here much either, and footprints is part of the reason why; I want a spot where I’m not so aware of who is visiting and who isn’t). 

    I also stopped browsing Xanga sites when footprints was introduced because if I checked out someone’s site more than once, then I was accused of *stalking* them and other people would freak out if I browsed but didn’t comment, etc. 

    Footprints has definitely made it harder to make new friends at Xanga and, well, I’ve basically left Xanga except to occasionally comment on the blogs of old, old friends. 

    Hi, old friend!

  • My site is open to the public. I don’t mind the footprints. I see that it’s a good idea. I browse a lot less now days. It’s not because I don’t want any one to know that I was at their site.

    I see the footprints as an advantage. I tend to see who clicked on my site. I tend to read some of what they blog about. I even add some comments at times

    There are times I go back to check some sites. I look to see what others say. At time there have been times people remove what I’ve said.

    There are a very few visitors to my site now days. Mostly “the unknowner” click on such as Firefox, Blog Pulse Live, Googles.

    I see when we do things anonymously it’s a cop out. We don’t want others to know who we are. But want our voices to be heard. Especially if there is a disagreement of some sort.

    Thanks for asking about footprints feedback. We should leave a trail that we were somewhere. I left some footprints today.

  • I don’t want my own visits on my own site to be counted in my footprints. I’ve said this a thousand times.

    And I do not want to see ANY post featured for more than 24 hours. Almost all the featured posts HAVE been featured for days at a time. I thought they were supposed to be featured for 24 hours and that’s IT.

  • I generally don’t think about footprints when browsing other people’s pages.  Every few days, I’ll look at my own footprints and click on the people I haven’t read before.

  • 1. No.

    2. No.

    3. Yep.

  • 1. I don’t think I browse any less because of footprints.
    2. Yup. Footprints are on.

  • 1. Nope.
    2. I am not anonymous to others, and I require them to be signed in to view mine (because I’ve had a couple of stalkers, and I need to know who’s looking at my stuff).

  • I think that footprints are one of the best features that Xanga has come up with since I’ve been on here. I was here before footprints, and it’s nice to know how people found your page, even if they don’t always comment.

  • I don’t think I browse less. I do think to myself “I hope this person doesn’t think I’m stalking them” if I happen to browse their site a lot. But I still do it, isn’t that what xanga is for?

    I don’t browse anonymously.

  • What….y’all don’t check Xanga ideas anymore? There, is what people really want you to fix.

  • Oh, I DEFINITELY browse around a lot less! I reserve my clicks for people I find interesting enough to not mind being stalker-ish 

  • i actually browse far less, because i don’t want anyone to know i was at their site and didn’t take the time to comment.

  • I love seeing/leaving footprints

  • I like being able to see who’s browsing my site.  If it’s someone I don’t know, it gives me a way to check out their site.  I’ve made some great new connections through footprints.

  • I don’t browse less — I don’t think I even consider Footprints when I go to someone’s site. I have my site on Footprints Lock.

  • I like the footprints and I don’t think it impacts my browsing that other people have them.  All I care about is the totals because the individual visits are worthless to me.

    But you need to do what is best for traffic so ignore us and if it will gain traffic, get rid of the footprints.

  • I’m currently trying to build readership, so I’m browsing more because I know that footprints are left. And, yes, I like seeing who actually took the time to come click on my site.

  • I do browse less because i dont want ppl to think im stalking.
    But I love footprints. I like to see ppl reading my site, and like to see who they were referred by.

  • I was browsing less anyway, and no.

  • I don’t browse any less than I would’ve, and I alternate between the two, though I may just go back to anonymous soon–it’s easier to link my non-xangan friends to my page that way for the home-made music.

  • lol weird.. I like it when people can see my footprint, because they check out my site too! Footprints are awsome, and its good to know if your ARE being stalked or not.
    Also, i like to see who is looking at my site, and usually I’ll go check theirs out as well.

  • I do hate browsing because I don’t like it that people can see I was checking them out. I’d have mine set to anonymous but I have a few subscribers that require footprints to be on. So I can’t do that! At the same time I looove seeing who has visited me.

  • 1.) No and 2.)NO…………….. I like footprints because when I get some free time I can go visit the people who took the time to stop by my site….even if my awesomeness left them speechless…..

  • sometimes i do browse less because of footprints, and no, i do not browseanonymously.

  • I love my footprints!  I’ve gotten friend requests that way and vice versa.  I keep my footprint lock on as well.  I want to know who’s on my site!  Stalkers you know? lol

  • My answers to your questions and no and no.

  • I don’t browse less because of footprints.  It was great when they first started, ywe could see who was browsing our page & go visit theirs in return.  But then they started getting flooded with repeat entries from bots, etc.  So I never even look at them anymore.

    Something to consider:  correlation does not equal causation.  You implemented a whole bunch of other features around the same time as footprints that could be the cause of the less-frequent browsing. 

    I think probably the biggest culprit is the way the “reply to” feature works on comments.  Where people used to go back to the other person’s site to let them know they’d replied, there is now no need to do that.  The way the universal inbox works also reduces the need to browse friends’ sites to see what they’ve been up to.  Sure it’s convenient but, reduced browsing is the price you pay for it.

    Oh, and don’t forget.  Lately you have been on this massive campaign to drive as much traffic away from individual xanga user sites to the -ish sites as possible.  So don’t go killing random features because you see traffic declining…

  • @BEAUTIFULCINNAMONQUEEN - what does footprint lock do?

  • @THYRIO - Oh that’s no crime so I think its a pity to hide yourself

  • it’s amazing how many ppl don’t want you reading their site so after a couple of bad experiences, i tend to browse a lot less than i used to bc of the footprints. on the plus side, i don’t mind seeing who’s visited since the proportion of comments to visits to about 1:50 sometimes even greater. so it’s fun to know who stopped by, even if they didn’t leave a comment.

  • @Loonsounds - people can’t view your page unless their footprints are activated. That way you can see who’s been on your page.  It’s a feature under settings

  • I browse less because I have friend lock on. (Lots of pictures of family.)   I think it is rude to go to others, knowing they cannot just look at mine.  I have a more public site, where I have the footprint lock on.  I do not think I really browse less there because of the footprints I leave.  I tend to try and leave a comment if I view more than a couple pages.

    I wonder how much truth there is to radicalramblings comment.  That seems to make a lot of sense.  If a person has a blurb of a pulse, you can see the entirety in the universal inbox, etc.  If anything was done away with, I would be happier to see the Ish sites go, but I am sure that will never happen.

  • I would browse the same amount with or without footprints… I keep my footprint setting on.  I think it’s a pretty cool feature :)

  • I think the footprint feedback has changed of late.  it used to be if you visited someone they would be annoyed that you didnt leave a message and come to your site and say as much.  Now, I think I just surf and people dont seem to mind if I dont say hi.

  • lol we all like the validation. =]

  • @BEAUTIFULCINNAMONQUEEN - ah ha!  Thanks for the answer.  The writer in me will not allow me to activate this feature right now…I have so many readers for my Indian love story series who opt to remain anonymous and I’m not sure they’d keep reading if they had to show themselves. (I have a lot of traffic coming over from a different blog, and many are mad at me, but still addicted to my stories, lol).  At least lots of people are reading it even if I don’t know who all they are ). Pity they don’t show themselves, but so be it. Maybe I’ll activate this later. Thanks again.

  • Since the inception of the Reply link, I tend to browse much less.

  • i do browse lesss because of Footprints.  i used to have Footprints lock on so that i could go visit those who visited my site, but since i took the lock off i’ve noticed that i get many more visitors who prefer to visit anonymously so now i don’t even bother looking at the Footprints.

    instead of footprints, i think trackback, just to see how people came to my blog, would be more useful.  currently the referral page field is almost always empty.

  • 1. Nope. >_> lol There’s also old accounts to use.
    2. No, most people have blocked anonymous users trying to get onto their site. So… no. (:

    I like Footprints too. If somebody doesn’t like attention, they shouldn’t complain about the Footprints, they should just turn on Friends Lock.

  • I like seeing the footprints. I take them for what they are. “footprints”. I dont see how this could pose a risk. Isn’t that  what Xanga is all about…exposure.

  • I do not browse less, I browse more looking for interresting blogs to read.

  • at first i browsed less because of footprints. but now i could care less. i like the foot prints feature and knowing who has read my xanga.

  • i’m changing my settings to footprints lock, because i have been getting a lot of anonymous people lately and it’s freaking me out! i just think if you’re browsing without footprints what do you have to hide?

  • @Delphiki - I definitely agree.

    I also don’t like that when I browse a lot of other sites, especially the featured posts, the owner thinks they need to friend or sub me automatically. No thank you, I was just bored at work.

    But I have to say that I think the whole friends thing is much more annoying than the footprints.

  • mornin glories….dang there are a bunch of xangans….I like footprints, I seldom check them though…I think what has decreased the browsing is the Home Page where everyone recommends and you only see your “friends” information – this leaves the browsing of new sites out in the cold (so to speak)…and if footprints bother people they can always block or lock – I’ve only had one unpleasant experience over footprints, but hey – I consider all experiences useful in some way

    No I don’t lock or block

    but I do have a question – I xanga at work and often I get in the middle of a coment and get called away and leave the coment just hanging for a while - does that make me look like a stalker

    I Love Xanga – You guys do ROCK!!!! 

  • personally, i love being able to see who views my site, and footprints doesnt keep me from browsing other sites, but i’d hate to see the footprints go, so keep them!

  • I enjoy the foot print feature. No I don’t go around less because I know people will see me… in fact when I see footprints and don’t get a comment I look at them as a little wave from the person who came by.

    I’m not on anonomous or lock…

  • couldnt you turn off the footprints or something.  no big deal.  dont be shy :)

  • 1) yup i browse less >_< i feel weird looking at other peoples pages when theres footprints.. though im ok with people visiting my page.. if they’re not middle-aged :S

    2) nope.. though i ought to

  • I appreciate being able to see who’s been trampling my site. Plus, it gives me an excuse to visit blogs I may not otherwise have known about. Footprints FTW. Keep ‘em!

  • I would never even think of browsing less. I love that they see my footprint. That way even if I don’t comment they know I was there.

  • 1.  I do like seeing who reads my blogs.  if they read mine, I’ll read theirs.
    2.  I think I’ve got it set up so that only people logged in can see my blog.  I was starting to get nervous when I saw someone from the other side of the country was looking at EVERYTHING.  and EVERYDAY.

  • it makes me browse more because it increases traffic to my site.

  • I just don’t get the big deal about footprints.  I like seeing who visits my page.  I don’t surf other people’s sites more or less because of them.   I have read a few posts about Xanga stalkers and think if your prudent and don’t give out personal info like they teach you in jr. high now days you have nothing to worry about. I think the word paranoid was used correctly earlier.

    I like footprints.

  • I never look at my footprints.

    I have more of a problem with the fact that you began linking my weblogs from this website to Facebook without my consent.
    It made me VERY angry.

  • It works like this: If you remove the Footprints feature, I will shut down my Xanga effective immediately.

  • @SerenaDante – Here! Here!

  • I don’t particularly care if people think I’m a stalker

    1. I browse not less because of footprints
    2. No.

  • @Cachivache37 - Yeah, I hate that.  I also hate how the Ish sites automatically sub and friend me, too.  I used to be friends with them and subscribed to them, but after that, I was getting annoyed at all the clutter in my inbox, so I removed them.  I browse them when I feel like it.  HOWEVER, they started to resub and readd me as a friend.  It’s annoying.

  • I love Footprints. They’re like, what won me over about Xanga.

  • @c_jamaica – A blogger after my own heart!

  • no and no

  • I don’t browse any less. I don’t know why it should matter if someone knows I’ve been by their page or not. I really like seeing who’s been to mine, and usually visit theirs as a result.

  • I hate footprints. I’ve browsed less because I don’t want to seem like a stalker.

  • People definitely browse less because of footprints, me included. 
    You should also take into consideration what kind of sample you are polling in this post. The people who respond to the Xanga Team are generally the people who are above average in terms of activity within the Xanga community. They are the active type, so they don’t mind if they are tracked or get hits back, so it makes sense that a lot of people who have commented above me are saying that they don’t browse any less because of footprints. These kinds of users would be active regardless of anything.
    If you could poll the entire Xanga userbase, I think you’d find that footprints affects casual users the most – the users who generally don’t like to leave comments, just like to read, come and go as they wish, and don’t like to be tracked. I think those type of users are obviously affected most by footprints, and it’s too bad, because if I were to guess, that subgroup of users makes up the biggest portion of your users.

  • I don’t mind browsing and leaving footprints.  IF they don’t want to be read they should lock down their blog.  I like footprints a lot and I use them to see who is checking me out and I check them out in return and have made some great friends lately!

  • I don’t pay attention to the footprints.

  • no. and no.

  • I don’t care who sees my footprints. I always hope they’ll come back and visit me, in turn. Sometimes they do.

  • Eh.  Knowing I’ll leave footprints makes me a bit nervous about visiting others, but it doesn’t stop me.  I figure if people don’t want strangers around, they’ll use friend block.  Anyway, I DO like checking the footprints left by others; it’s fun.  Overall, I think they are a good thing. 

  • 1 no

    2 yes footprints lock is on …so how does some russian search engine manage to look at my site??????

  • It does not effect my browsing.
    I could care less if people think I am a stalker. If they don’t like it, then they can put their site on private.

    It has helped me get to know people and connect with them. Knowing that people are viewing my site helps me know that people are actually taking interest in my posts.

  • @Sungball - Well then those people shouldn’t be on Xanga. It is a BLOGGING community for a reason.

  • @ProfessorTom - Thank you.

  • @chadwilly - You can turn of the facebook feature.

  • I love the Footprints feature, I didn’t like not knowing who visits my page. 

  • I like footprints.  I like being able to visit people’s pages if they are taking time to visit mine.  I also like leaving footprints so people know I’ve been by & thinking of  them enough to visit their page.  I don’t browse less because of them.

  • Sometimes I browse with the hope that they will see my footprints and visit my site, as I do when I see others’ footprints. On the other hand, I get really paranoid that someone who knows me IRL has found me if I see footprints from a specific server and place (but no username), and immediately set my posts to private an enact FriendsLock. 

  • I don’t mind the footprints because if I know I seem stalker-ish, I’ll just log out and look at the person’s site then. If they have sign-in lock, then I just sign into my alternate xanga that I don’t really use. Simple 

    Oh and I love seeing my footprint log…although sometimes the way people find my site is creepy.

  • I don’t browse anon.
    Footprints?  well, I only have time to grace the numbers – and maybe if extra time is available see who is checking out my site.

    otherwise?  I don’t use footprints that much.

  • I don’t care whether people see my footprints. In fact, sometimes I browse other people’s sites logged in just so they can see who was looking at their site. 

    And I like seeing who was on my site because if someone shows even a passing interest in me, I like to return the interest. 

  • 1. No I do not browse less because of footprints. Honestly, I think it’s wrong if people want to browse other people’s sites without them knowing about it. There isn’t ever anything good in that, so if they don’t like it then those of us who are honest shouldn’t have to suffer for it. I’ll admit that sometimes I wish I could visit someone’s page without them knowing about it, but it’s never for anything other than a selfish reason, and usually a creepy one. It keeps me honest. And if it didn’t, then I shouldn’t be allowed to be sneaky, either. There are too many stalkers and semi-stalkers, I think the ability to know what is going on as far as how your page is being viewed is far more important than encouraging people to browse Xanga by letting them do it the creepy way.

    2. I do not browse anonymously for the very above mentioned reason. It was tempting to set it on this, but in the end I didn’t, because I didn’t want to be restricted from blogs with footprints lock. It turns out, I feel better about not browsing anonymously. I do think it is nice that the option to browse anonymously as there, as long as footprints lock is an option as well, to counter it. I DO have footprints lock enabled on my site, for the sole reason of being able to block people that I’m not comfortable with them visiting or commenting on my site, more than I like to see who is visiting it. Footprints lock and sign in lock allows me to avoid having to go full out to friends lock. I can still be somewhat public to all of Xanga who don’t feel the need to be stalkers by browsing anonymously, while retaining a level of control with privacy.

  • P.S. If you get rid of footprints, I will also be one of the ones leaving Xanga.

  • 1. Not really.

    2. I have Xanga lock, yes.

  • 1. I browse less. My strategy is to log out before browsing, so when I come to a Signin Lock site I rarely bother unless I just have to comment.
    2. No footprints lock, but I guess I browse anonymously, see 1.

  • Well, if I want to see who is browsing on my site, I have to recognize that others want see who is browsing theirs. Footprints does not play any part in my decision to browse or not. I like the footprints feature. 

  • @ELL_000_VEE_EEE - I know, i did, thanks. just wasnt happy about the randomness, but oh well.

  • I do get a little conscious when going onto someone elses site and leaving footprints, but then I hope they visit back (^.^)r

    but, collectively – footprints is the way forward > no lock, no anonymous~

  • It kinda creeps me out when someone visits my site and I don’t know them… Then when I trace back to them, it turns out to be someone with a username like Zhjwxt with no blogs and no identity of any sort. I don’t mind browsing people’s blogs, but when I do, I personally would comment on a blog and also mention they visited mine first…

  • I don’t browse less, but I’m careful about my browsing habits. Don’t want to seem like too much of a creeper. But nevertheless I still love checking my footprints. It’s a vicious cycle huh? I turn off footprints sometimes when I want to thoroughly browse someone’s site :X

  • I really prefer having footprints. I don’t browse less because of them. 

  • i love the footprint feedback information. please keep it! if anything make it better so that i can see everyone that’s browsing my page!

  • I like to see my footprints and I don’t mind if someone else see’s mine on there site. Lots of times they visit me because they saw my footprint. 

  • I love the footprints feature. It lets me know who visits my site, and it’s like a little add when I stop by other people’s sites. I certainly don’t browse any less because of it, but I am more likely to leave a comment when I browse so that people don’t think I’m just some random creeper lol.

  • to unadvocate hate. yes. that feature has made me browse less.

  • i don’t really pay attention to footprints except for the weird days when i see i have huge spikes in views to my page.  it sometimes annoys me though how much people seem to worry about it; they’ll leave me messages like “sorry if i seem like a creeper for all the footprints today, it was just because blah blah blah!”  and I’m like Really?   I don’t care at all, and I wasn’t going to check…

  • 1) Do you browse less because of you know people can see your Footprints? No.
    2) Do you have your settings set to browse anonymously, or to Footprints Lock? No. Yes.

  • Footprints hasn’t changed how much I browse. I like having the option of seeing who is browsing my page, since some people just read and don’t leave a comment.

  • 1.  I honestly don’t care so much unless they don’t repeatedly come back to my blog for months and never comment.  In my book that is just stalking.

    2.  I don’t browse anonymously.  I think I don’t have footprint lock on although I probably should.  There are people I know who are not on xanga and I don’t want to make it harder for them to view my blog than it should have to be.

  • I personally love footprints the way they are.  I make at least one return visit to every Xangan that visits my site, and that is how I have discovered most if not all of the blogs I regularly read.  I also like seeing the states and countries that I get hits from, and I find some of the google-search redirects pointing to my pages to be absolutely hysterical.  Keep it the way it is, please.

  • i browse the same amount as would normally with or without footprints.  people can see my footprints, i don’t have a problem with that.   i also love seeing where other people are visiting/linking from when they come to my site. 

  • The only thing that bothers me about footprints is that people assume that I want to be friends with them, just because I read one of their posts that happened to be featured. I keep my site on friends lock because I write mostly about things that are kinda personal, and it’s just annoying to get all these requests.

  • I like it as it is…

  • u se both sides of footprints.. love ‘em!

  • I don’t think I browse less; I don’t really care if people see me in their log.

    I don’t pay too much attention to my footprints either. But generally I like them, and I think they should stay.

  • does footprints lock actually work?

  • i miss the old xanga with no footprints.

    if you wanted someone to know you were there, boom.  comment.  if not, no big deal. a lot of people had trackers on their site anyway.

  • i dont care if people see that i was on their site. they should be flattered. i love seeing whos been on mine too. im glad im not like weird for that or anything.

  • i still browse, but i do less stalking because i don’t want the person to see that i’m a no lifer who has the time to read their entire blog (which, sadly, i am) 

  • i check my footprints every now and then and i probably go on other people’s sites at about the same rate i did before. i dont think anyone should hide with that option. if youre gonna look at my page, look at it, for crying out loud. i dont have anything to hide but if you do, its just gonna piss me off. grow some balls and have an identity when you look at my page.

  • i don’t mind them. i always liked the internet because you can look anonymously at whatever you want. you don’t have to comment, you can just read it, skim it, whatever. go through as many pages as you want, and no one knew.
    now if you skim through more than two or three pages, people consider you a stalker instead of someone that just…interested. i don’t know, it just seems to ruin the internet a little bit.

    so i don’t care if people think i’m a stalker, i’ll read what i want. sometimes i just like to read people’s comments on certain entries, and i can go through pages and pages of them.

  • I love footprints but prolly close to 50% of those sites in my footprints have frends lock on..now THT I DONT LIKE..if I find they have frends lock on I just block them frm returning to my site..j/w; if they have frends lock on will I show up in their f/p(s)?  I have met some very good frends thru footprints; some I text others I actually call..best of all the foot prints lead me to my soulmate

  • 1. No
    2. No

  • 1) Do you browse less because of you know people can see your Footprints?

    - Yes. I’m afraid of being titled a stalker.

    2) Do you have your settings set to browse anonymously, or to Footprints Lock?

    - I had no idea you could do that, and now I will!!!

    I totally think Footprints should be optional. I get so caught up on them not only when I’m visiting other sites, but also when I’m writing new entries. In the back of my mind, I’m always thinking about the Footprints, and I don’t like that.

  • Heh…I don’t have enough traffic for me to quantitatively ascertain whether people are visiting my site less..

  • you can’t ever satisfy everybody.  you guys have done the right thing – offered a “footprints lock” feature or whatever it is you call it.  don’t change anything.  

  • I browse less

  • I use to care, but now I don’t.  I gotten use to it and knowing that I can know who comes on my xanga gives me a relieve that my secret xanga is still..well a secret. :D

  • I like to see who’s visiting my site, and I also like that they see MY footprints when I visit!

  • Two random comments:

    1. Weekly footprints is totally broken. It seems to increase continuously for no apparent reason, well into the hundreds even if the Daily footprints never increase for days. The Daily footprint count, Weekly footprint count, and Page Views do not match at all.

    2. Personally I don’t mind ppl setting footprint lock, but if something like footprint lock exists, Xanga should make sure that people who do not have Javascript (e.g., ppl who browse Xanga through Toronto Freenet’s telnet access) can still log in to Xanga.

  • I say keep them, but take off the lock so people can see eachothers xanga, if you dont want some looking block them.

  • i honestly never gave a rats ass about anyone knowing me being on their site because i never got into the habit of unintentionally stalking people.
    facebook almost had me but i quit facebook for that reason.
    in response to your two questions ~ i didnt browse less. (i only read featured blogs anyway) and i dont even know how to select the “browse anonymously” setting.
    but footprints started freaking me out lately.
    ive been looking at it a lot and there were some sick people looking at my site.
    people with user names like “wetxxhorny” and what not.
    it made me feel uncomfortable.
    and then theres some people who actually read my entries all the way back to 2007.
    creeped me out.

  • Footprints are very useful and I like leaving them for others. People who are nervous are strange, maybe an ego problem?

  • I concur with saintvi; if I didn’t want someone knowing, I’d log out and look.

    I find it interesting to see who’s been to my site and what they found interesting enough to take a second look at.

  • THERES A FOOTPRINTS LOCK?!!!!   

    YOU CAN BROWSE ANONYMOUSLY?

    No I don’t really care either way , although some people are like paranoid footprint detectives on here. I usually use the subscriptions feature to read blogs , so I don’t have to visit pages, but on occassion to give props. Otherwise i don’t care about footprints even if they come from places I never heard of, just helps me brush up on my geography. Some people take footprints way too seriously  and people need to stop being so paranoid and thinking that someone is stalking them just because they have a lot of footprints from one person or country, that just means your more interesting then you thought to that person, If your that weirded out by them then the internet isnt the place for you  

  • I like footprints a lot in my feedback — it’s nice to know what people are reading/seeing.

    I don’t mind leaving behind my own footprint elsewhere, but I am pissed at how some of the “ish” sites (etc) like Revelife etc will instantly hop on a footprint and make a friend request/subscription request.  Really?!  Lame.  I just clicked ONCE on some stupid featured-content post and now I’ve been targeted for marketing.

    Xanga makes it so easy to simply read posts from the subscription page that it’s hard to justify looking at someone’s actual site unless I want to view a photo in the post or read comments … which I often don’t have time to do.

  • I don’t know why people are paranoid about showing up on footprints, but if they are, just sign out of your account to browse.

  • I like footprints both ways. It makes you think a little more and thinking is good.

  • lol i love footprints.
    and i browse other people’s sites as freely as i want to.
    no privacy settings.
    meh *shrug*
    don’t take footprints out. i love <3. it.

  • I prefer the option of seeing footprints – I like to see what has led ppl to my site, and it has introduced me to some new friends I may not have found otherwise!

  • I don’t mind leavng footprints.  It lets people know that I am there and reading even if I don’t comment every time.  I also like to see who has visited my site.

  • When I joined Xanga there was already the footprints feature, so I kind of knew from the get-go not to browse like I would on LJ or something…it’s interesting to me to see who is browsing mine, but at the same time, it kind of weirds me out, and I’d almost prefer not to see who reads it so I don’t give into my own paranoia.

  • i keep footprints lock on. i don’t want anonymous people on my page– frankly, if you don’t want me to know you’ve been by, i don’t want you by at all.

  • I just dont like friends lock because people with friends lock can browser whoever they want to “stalk” but in terms of people who doesnt enable friends lock, they can not do the same to those who “stalk” them.

  • I don’t think I browse any less. Sometimes I think about twice though before I’d visit a site twice in the same day.

  • 1) No.

     It might be true for other people but I browse less lately because of how busy I’ve become and I only read the blogs from my favorite bloggers.

    2) No. I actually like the footprints idea so I could see how many hits I get for certain entries to blog more about it – although I rarely get comments but the search engine/ footprints help keep track of that.

    @Dare2BDiferentt - What’s #3 for?

  • more, i click on the foot prints to my site to check out others

  • I had no clue anyways, but I would prefer for them to be anonymous….ii should probably fix it now .

  • There’s a reason why Livejournal, Blogger, WordPress, Myspace, Facebook don’t have footprints — it’s a deterrent!

  • sometimes the idea of leaving footprints does keep me away.

  • i <3 footprints.

    my boyfriends exgf was stalking me via xanga and im glad I could see what she was looking at and for how long. eventually i told some of my friends and it got around to her that i knew so she deleted her xanga account. now i dont have to deal with her creepiness!

  • I guess I don’t browse less..
    and
    I have friends lock though cos I don’t want random people who don’t have xanga to surf my page. 

  • YOU BETTER NOT TAKE AWAY FOOTPRINTS. I love them! :)

  • I definitely browse less and hardly use xanga and don’t feel comfortable because I feel like people will think I’m stalking them if they can track me, especially if I get started reading a site and want to go to the next page, or simply enjoy the pictures. I hate footprints!!!

  • I like seeing who visited me, and I don’t see why people wouldn’t want me and others visiting them – we blog for other people to see, or else we set our blogs to private/protected, yes?

  • I do the same amount of browsing I have always done.  I use footprints on a daily basis to keep track of certain family members who like to snoop on my site.  Without footprints, I wouldn’t have been able to tell when a certain incarcerated family member was snooping on my site from prison and I wouldn’t have known to BLOCK him.

  • I LOVE footprints. I browse with them on, with the intention of leaving them. I don’t care who sees them. It brings people to my blog. I like seeing the footprints too.

    If I want to see them, it is only fair that people should see mine too.

    I don’t have one single problem with footprints. I probably even step out of my comfort blogging zone just to pull a new reader in with footprints and visit more blogs because of them.

  • I don’t care who sees that I’ve been on their blog. I love footprints, it has actually made me browse more because I realized that people were looking at my blog, haha. AND I found the hilariously strange things that people are using when finding my blogs via search engines. Seriously, the weirdest keyword searches have lead people to my blog. It’s wonderfully entertaining. Also I like knowing when certain people are stalking me :)

  • I have no problem with footprints. I like to see who’s fluttering about, and I visit in kind. I have no worries about browsing. I feel no pressure. It’s just nice knowing who’s kicking about :)

  • I just want to know who is on my site.
    So I just click back after they read my stuff…

  • nope! footprints don’t slow me down!

  • I adore footprints, and I especially like to see how people came to my page through google– that one really thrills me.

    No I don’t browse less, I don’t care if they know I’m looking. If they don’t want me to look, then don’t have a public blog!

  • i like the footprints. i don’t browse less because of them. sometimes i think i browse more because i know that other people like seeing footprints on their pages so i’m more inclined to leave them.

  • I vote that Footprints stay.
    *Two cents thrown*

  • 1. i don’t browse less. i didn’t browse much to begin with.

    2. i don’t think i have footprints lock set up on mine. it never really bothered me before.

    but i have, however, developed a fondness for the footprints feature, mostly because i like to check the list for obscure countries i’ve either never heard of before or have heard only in a geography class or something. actually prompts me to look them up and find out where in the world they are, what kind of place it is, etc.

  • I like it both ways!  I like seeing the footprints on my site, and don’t mind anyone seeing mine!

  • I didn’t have time to read all of the comments, so this may be a “ditto.”  I like footprints, but I do have a suggestion.  How about limiting it to one footprint per visit.  That way people could visit multiple pages, photos, etc., without feeling like a stalker.

  • Well, thanks to footprints and the link’s directory names, I can see how people have found my site.  A few people have actually searched for very specific words, names, phrases, etc. that could only link to me, so it’s helped me keep an eye on some . . . shady people.  It’s really been nice to have, but I hate having only four days to look through in the week.  I kind of wish I could have footprints actually say I looked at my page, because sometimes I make multiple entries and I forget I visited my page more than once, so I can’t always remember (due to only four days to look back on) if I visited multiple times or if someone else did.  Other than that, the footprints have been really nice.

  • 1.) Yes, I browse less, I feel if they know I’m visiting their page it’s expected for me to leave a comment, and I’m really not up for reading and commenting every blog I come across. I know how it irks me to see people browsing my site without leaving a comment, so I try to be courteous.

    2.) Yes, I have footprints lock on, it’s a personal decision and I’m glad to have this option, honestly.

  • I have footprints lock, I don’t check my footprints anymore though, cause I use protected posting, I don’t browse that much because if someone see’s my footprint on their site and I don’t comment, then they might block me, I know stupid, but ALOT of people do that, if you leave a footprint they want you to leave a comment.

  • i dont browse anyways.. but i see that some people would go through my ENTIRE xanga.. D:

  • I don’t have a problem with people knowing I’ve been to their xanga.
    If I did, I’d simply put my xanga on friend lock.
    It’s no big issue.

  • I don’t browse less. I don’t know how to check my own footprints. I’ve heard of them on other peoples posts. Personally I think it’s nice to have, but some people get obsessed and they need to know who exactly is visiting their page. ALSO if someone is being creepy and reading my stuff I don’t want to know about it and start changing what I write because someone might say something to me. I only have 1 friend on Xanga.

    This footprint issue is something I’m not concerned about.

  • 1. Don’t browse less, no.

    I think the front page featured more than a few blogs that highlighted the experience of social drama over seeing footprints but receiving no comments. Did that fuel a hype? Just sayin… Stalking is a term that apparently needs reining in. I’ve been back to blogs many times, not quite making the connection all the way through to comment.

    2. Don’t use those, no.

  • no, i dont browse less, infact, i browse more! it’s nice to see who;s been browsing your page and possibly make friends out of that.

  • 1) of course not, and no one should. i think people are just embarassed because when they visit and don’t leave a comment, it seems a bit rude. so in theory, people shouldn’t feel bad for visiting and not leaving a comment, and likewise, people shouldn’t get mad either.
    2) nope.

  • 1) yes
    2) no

  • @ProfessorTom - Oh, yes. Of course! I’m one of a kind. (grins)

  • for a while I even had “friends lock” because I wanted to control who got to see my site.
    I think footprints are great. xanga is for community, not for anonymous stalking.

  • I’ve never taken footprints into consideration when browsing Xanga, and I like being able to see them. I’ve never messed with my footprints settings, so they’re whatever the default is; I like them that way.

  • I won’t browse other people’s sites less because this can show your friends you care about them. I love to see who’s visiting my site as well!

  • i don’t even know what footprints are. xanga is dwindling with its addition of useless gimmicks…

  • I browse more with Footprints.  Now that I can see who visits my site, I can check out people with the posibility of similar interests. 

    If people don’t browse as much due to Footprints, they’re just being greedy.  They still want to see who visits their site without letting others see who is visiting their sites.  They can:  set to browse annonymously or log out and browse.  Either of these ways will let them browse without leaving a specific Footprint.

    I’ll continue to browse without anonymity, and will hopefully still have Footprints to follow.

  • I think I browse the same.    It’s nice seeing who visited, but I understand the need for privacy.  Footprint locks/anonymous control oughta take care of that for people who care.

  • I’m a weirdo, have actually been reading through all the comments, and I had an idea.  How about an ‘opt out’ feature, like has been offered for other things?  I personally don’t want to opt out, but some people seem kinda rattled just seeing footprints.  If they couldn’t see them, they could relax.  Of course, all anyone has to do, actually, is NOT push that little button to begin with…  I don’t think it’s occurred to those people that not being able to see them doesn’t mean they actually go away.  As for browsing, leaving a footprint is like leaving a calling card, a mark that says “I was here”.  The reason I like footprint lock on certain blogs is so I can annoy a couple of people, make it harder for them to see my stuff, force them to create a xanga account so I can watch them back…  Makes me feel powerful, you know?    haha  On the other hand, people who have genuinely wished me harm in the past have simply cornered me with anonymous browsing, then created blank xanga sites to sub to me behind my back, which feels creepy.  I was mightily perplexed by a certain xanga for over a year, finally contacted xanga security, and that person (whom I actually knew in real life and hadn’t seen in a long time) suddenly popped up on email to say hi, and what’s up with xanga security giving her a cease and desist on stalking?  THAT really creeped me out, and I have since then blocked her emails.  I don’t mind the whole world reading my blogs for the most part, but when people (both friend and foe) who know me personally hit my blog every single day for months without telling me who they are, yes, I WANT to see that, because I’d rather know than not know, you know?  I’d rather see it going on behind my back than not see it.  I’m a lurker myself, not apt to leaving comments very much, but I have never ever hit someone’s blog over and over like that, and I can’t imagine being that enamored or obsessed with someone to do so.  So whatever Xanga can give us on protecting ourselves with more knowledge, I’m good with it.

  • I log out when I want to browse peoples pages that I don’t want to know I’m stalking– uner… reading. Otherwie, footprints are not a hinderance to me– I like keeping track of who gets on my site and I’ll check them out too if they print on mine =)

  • No.  sign-in lock though.

  • @KERASIx937 - @suggestivetongue - @SerenaDante - I answer the same !

    Barry

  • @daeshii - i second that. also, it’s very important to me to know who’s reading my blog.

  • I think the reason people browse less is because of the ‘reply to comment’ feature. We used to click over to other people’s pages to leave our replies. Now we reply on our own pages. We only really find new readers through the front page. Not so many people use blogrings anymore. So:
    1) Do you browse less because of you know people can see your Footprints?
    Not really.

    2) Do you have your settings set to browse anonymously, or to Footprints Lock?
    No I allow others to see my footprint and to view theirs.

    -Heidi

  • No and No. I like the footprints, I like showing people I cared enough to stop by, and I like having a look at who came to me.

  • I just browse, and I don’tcare who sees my footprints. and I look at who’s browsed me, and love to see people’s footprints. Isn’t that what it’s all about? Communication in a free and easy manner?

    Why all this paranoia? Surely nobody seriously thinks they’re “secure” from “unwanted” browsers. If you don’t want to risk your thoughts being seen by all the world, quit blogging.

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  • I am a really big fan of the footprints!

  • As a semi-long-timer, who is also a Lifer, what I have found is not that people are browsing less because of footprints, but because of the newer Subscriptions methods.  Whereas you used to HAVE to visit to catch up, now you can do so from the privacy of your own blog and never have to go to anothers page if you don’t desire to.  I found / find it sad, but I have learned to live with it.

  • i like seeing who looks at my site and i’ll usually check out theres.
    i think it’s a good thing :]

  • I”m busy on work in this period….

  • No, I don’t browse less.  I actually hope that someone will see my footprints and check out my site out of curiosity.  And I don’t have either of those settings enabled.

  • 1) I don’t browse less.  I like that sometimes people will see that I’ve been on my site and come look at mine. 
    2) I have my site set with a xanga lock and a footprints lock.  (I’ve had some problems with a certain person before, so I use footprints lock to make sure that if they get back to my site I can block them before any problems start again).

  • I definitely browse less because of footprints.

    No.

  • 1) yes
    2) no, just sign in lock

  • I actually browse more because of footprints… I browse the people who browse me… and for those that don’t … I browse them so that they might browse me in return.

    I have it set so that you have to have footprints enabled to be able to come to my site… I want to know whos looking at me ;)

  • 1.) No. 2.) I don’t know.

    i will say that i think people get shy about visiting my page because they dont want me to see their footprints. especially the ladies…lol

  • don’t remove footprints.

  • I really like to see who is seeing my site.

    If I don’t want others to see my foorprints, I sign out of xanga before browsing. Of course, that does limit some of the sites I can access, but yeah. It works. :)

  • I love footprints! I like to see who visits my site. I don’t browse anonymously, because I think other people have a right to know who is visiting their site. I don’t feel like I have anything to hide.

  • I don’t browse anonymously, and I browse as often as I did before footprints were around. 

    I *love* having footprints.  It’s very creepy when people repeatedly visit your site and they have zero entries and a join date of let’s say, 5 years ago.  That block button comes in handy.  There are too many weirdos out there to not have footprints.

  • I definitely don’t browse much or even use Xanga anymore because of it.I don’t often have time to comment but I love to visit sites for a minute to check in on people, or to decide if I want to have more of a relationship. I don’t like people feeling hurt because I haven’t commented, nor do I enjoy being hassled for visiting without commenting, so I really don’t bother much any more and spend more time at other social networking sites. 

  • I have to admit that i do feel a little restricted to browse. I’m one who just enjoys browsing through posts but don’t comment unless I really have an opinion related to the post. However, I’ve been reading that bloggers really dislike “stalkers” that don’t leave a comment behind. So I kinda limit myself to about two to three pages if I want to look back at their older posts. I’d only be reading back if i found their content interesting, but i guess people feel uneased with 10 footprints from the same person haha.

  • I really dislike it and i figure if someone liked my post enough they would comment on it and then i would know they read it.

  • I like the footprints – i check out who visits and feel that someone seeing my prints will encourage others to check me out.  on rare occasions that i want to brouse anomonusly, i log out. 

  • I love footprints and seeing who has visited my blog. I don’t browse a lot, but I never have. I don’t mind that people know I’ve visited their blog. Isn’t that what this place is for? If the blog owner didn’t want people to visit, they should put their blog on lockdown so random people can’t view it.

  • I definitely browse less, not because of footprints but because of footprints lock. Every other link I try to go to ends up blocking me because some paranoid idiot has footprints lock on. When you think about it, footprints lock breaks the usability of xanga. Anyone paranoid enough to have footprints lock on should have their own little paranoid xanga community, and any and all links to someone with footprints lock shouldn’t show up on any page I’m browsing. I wish you had a footprints lock lock where I could lock out people who have footprints lock on. 

  • I like to know where my readers come from!

  • I admit I do browse xanga pages less because of footprints. I don’t want anybody to think i’m surfing too deep into their personal lives lol. I also have footprint lock for the same reason.

  • 1) I’m not browsing less because of footprints..

    2) I have footprints lock…

  • 1.  Nope

    2.  double nope

  • I have my site footprints locked because it’s nice to be able to understand what kind of people are reading my blog and where they’re coming from.
    If that makes anyone uncomfortable… they seriously need to relax and work on their security issues. I never let my footprints stop me from hopping all over the blogsphere.

  • Personally, I much prefer to see who visits my site.  While I have not put it on “footprints Lock” I have often considered it.  I think people should have the ability to put the lock on if they desire since it is thier page.  The only ones I find questionable are those that feel the need to hide what sites they go to as though there was something to hide… just saying.  Still, if a site isn’t locked, they have that right and that is as it should be.  As an aside though,  I brouse less because I’ve been busy, not because of footprints.

  • Footprints do not affect my browsing of Xanga in any way. I don’t use Footprints Lock, either. I honestly don’t get why people are concerned about others seeing they’ve been there.

  • I don’t browse less because of footprints and yes, I do have “Footprints Lock” turned on. However… it would be nice to actually see X amount of screen names corresponding to the X amount of Footprints. I don’t have much traffic to my site, but this week so far, I’ve got 105 footprints (an increase of 8 from yesterday), but only 2-4 screen names that actually registered from a few days ago!

  • Maybe it would be beneficial to show the names of the people that visited your site in a week, and not how many times they visited that week or when or what pages of yours they visited.

    That way you could still see who was reading you, but without feeling like a stalker if you look at someone else’s blog more than once a day. 

    Another possible reason that people are visiting less pages, is because of the convenience of seeing everything on one page through the subscriptions, emails, and feedback.

  • I definitely browse less…it’s just kind of weird to be tracked. I don’t have footprint lock on my own page because I don’t care who looks or how much, as long as I don’t get stalkers. Besides, the people who so enjoy knowing who visited their sites ought to concentrate on writing(or reading) better posts instead of obsessing over their numbers. I think your team should considering getting rid of them. Anyway, thank you for asking for our opinions:)

  • The footprints sometimes make me feel obligated to leave comments whether or not I like the content, but it does not stop me from browsing. I like the footprints feature as well because I’m interested in who comes to my blog and how.

  • I don’t browse less because people can see my footprints, and I don’t browse anonymously.

  • I do browse less because of the Footprints thing. I don’t mind that people know I’ve visited, but I feel obligated to comment if I browse someone’s site more than once.

  •  I don’t often click on to Xanga but I am a member, don’t know much about Footprint you were talking about but I guess it’s something about “marking” of somebody’s messages. At least two or above?

    I don’t mind having my “footprints” being seen on Xanga but I hope more people will browse your website!!!>

  • no i love the footprints!

  • I use it to get back to people. For curiosity purposes. And occasionally, it helps other people find and subscribe to me. Keep footprints! Xanga is the only social networking site that HAS something like this.

  • i like seeing who’s checkin’ out my site. & i almost always go check out their site in return. i would say i probably browse more, because i figure that if i go to somebody’s site, they’ll see that i did via footprints & check out my site. it’s a win-win, i’d say.

  • 1) I definitely browse less.
    2) I don’t go anon, because a lot of people have anon footprinters banned from seeing their page! I can’t win!

  • I’m using the old SUBSCRIPTION
    BROWSER right now. Yeah,
    remember that thing?  Why’d
    you go and hide it from us, if
    you want us to actually… you
    know… BROWSE pages on here?

  • i dont like  strangers reading….

    i worry about  my  professional life and  personal life  coliding

    if i see some  one  browsing…..i  go and  check them out….

    if  we  have  some thing in common…great…if  not BLOCK!!!

    if they  are local  to me …i am more likely  to block

    that is just me

    PS i hate the link to facebook…

    if i wanted them linked i  would do it my self .

  • I don’t care about people seeing my footprint.  It will just make them come to my site =D.  I like seeing who’s been at my site too!

  • I’ve always loved the footprints idea.

    I don’t limit my browsing due to footprints, and I keep footprints lock on my blog as well. I like knowing more about who views my blog.

  • i don’t mind the footprints.   It gives affirmation to one’s blogs when footprints appear.

  • I don’t pay any attention to footprints.  To me it is a meaningless feature.

  • I do browse less, but I like seeing who has gone on my page xD

  • I have to admit there are times I don’t visit people just because I don’t want them seeing me on their footprints because I am not sure if I want to add them as friends and I don’t want to be mean.-lol

  • i don’t have mine set to anonymous, because it annoys me when people have THEIRS set that way. like you mentioned, i love having the ability to see who comes to my site, but i do find myself watching where i click or how many times i visit … i don’t want to look obsessed or anything. what a conundrum! :/

  • I still browse but not as much like i use to before footprint was invented. idk i just feel that if i dont get the chance to leave a comment its going to be a issue when before i went to someones site and couldnt comment it wasnt a big deal. but i think now that footprint has been around people demand others to comment. I myself dont get upset when someone just comes and visit and then leave because they have the right to comment or not i dont bug about it like most do.

    WAT ARE YOU GUYS GOING TO DO????

  • I don’t browse less. I don’t browse anonymous

  • I browse less because of the footprints. Some people think if you visit more than once or twice you are stalking them if you don’t leave a comment and the occasional  person gets very freaky. Any kind of stalkers and weirdos are anathema to me, so if browsing less keeps the nutters away, then ok. I don’t care whether or not there are footprints because all the paranoid peeps on Xanga have at least one tracker on their page anyway and some have more than one.  Not being paranoid myself,  I don’t often  check footprints so I have no idea if anyone even visits my site still.  The whole internet is browsed by all sorts of people and it seems a bit odd to me that people need to know who just surfed on by.  Want to know is one thing, need to know, another.  

    I use Xanga less overall and rarely blog these days because after some dickhead got away with appalling libellous nastiness and I got no support from the powers-that-be,  I felt let down and not so enthusiastic about it, I still like Xanga somewhat though. 

    btw have you noticed almost no-one uses minis any more?

  • 1) No
    2) No use on browse anonymously and Footprints Lock

    the problem in my mind is my xanga is private, my fds will receive my update xanga by email, then i don’t know who had read my xanga, also, i cannot control subscribers receive my update xanga or not. danger is when subscribers can use email forward out my xanga.

  • Normally I don’t think of footprints when I browse.  But then again, a lot of times I’m not logged in so they really don’t see who I am.  I’ve noticed that when I go to my own blog and I’m not logged in, many times my footprint will say “Georgia” when in fact I’m in Missouri.  So I really don’t pay attention to my footprints since they are not always a true representation of who is visiting.  I have seen some Xangans freak out and blog about how someone from New Jersey is looking at their site and they are just sure it’s a pervert wanting to abduct their precious children!  LOL!  When truly it could be Dear Aunt Opal that lives down the street! 

  • I don’t mind one bit that anyone knows I visited their site. If anything, it may encourage them to come see my own blog.

  • just one thing, um, i know probably i will get off subject a bit yet it comes back to the footprints issue. I just have an issue with not having a notification of a reply when i submit a comment on the chatboard. Now how is this connected on to the footprints? well if i don’t get a reply i have to go to that person’s page and check if they replied, adding footprints 4 no reason. So yeah, just a bit of imput. Yet i think that the footprint thing is cool because you see someone that saw your page and if you like it you comment on them, and well it spreads. Yeah…

  • 1) I browse anonymously sometimes, but I try to care less about who sees my footprints. It really depends on my mood (because that, in turn, influences the comments I’ll drop.)
    2) No. It seems silly, unless if you have something to hide. 

  • I think the current set-up is perfect. You can block your footprints from showing up AND block people with blocked footprints if you want to know how drops by. Win-win. It doesn’t stop me from browsing other people’s sites… unless they are someone I know personally but no longer have a relationship with. :D haha

  • hey.
    i was just wondering if theres anyway
    xanga could send me an e-mail with
    a list of all my past usernames and passwords
    that are still active. cause i forgot most of them

  • I love leaving my footprints. It’s like a plug, but better, ’cause it’s free and I like being able to see who is visiting me.

  • I usually check back those footprints if I find the someone’s name is funny!

  • No. I like browsing. I make friends that way and I like knowing whose looking at my page and it makes me happy!   I also like seeing when it’s a robot, so I can turn it off.

  • I don’t even worry about the footprints.  Why do I care if someone knows I read their blog?  If they didn’t want people to read it, why did they post it?

  • i like the footprints as i like to know who has visited and to let others know i have been to their site

  • Why am I seeing my ‘private posts’ in public view?

    It’s darn irritating!

    Is this temporary or is it going to be a permanent thing?

    Can xanga please answer my questions? Our questions never get answered!

  • xanga should seriously have a ‘forum’ where members could interact and help each other instead of depending on the xanga team who takes forever to reply.

    If they are too busy, then it simply means it’s time to hire more staffs!

  • It doesn’t matter to me about footprints. If they see me, then most likely they will click on my name and visit my site. 

  • I like footprints.  I like seeing who has visited my page.  I don’t care if they see I visit them either.

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  • I don’t browse any less. I don’t mind people seeing that I’ve visited their site. I also love seeing who’s been visiting mine.

  • I do browse less because of Footprints.

    However, I mostly browse Xanga anonymously. I turn Footprints back on when I visit the site of my Footprint Lock friends. I never ever plan to use Footprints Lock.

  • 1. No and 2. No

  • I love the footprints feature!  Please don’t delete it!  I love seeing who is on my page, and also do not mind others seeing I visited there’s.

  • 1) Yes, but what i’ve done is create another empty site to do more browsing on, just because of my embarassment =(

    2) No, I do not use the browsing xanga anonymously; and Yes, I do use the footprints lock.

    Thanks for caring so much to want our imput!

  • i only browse from libraries now.

  • I surf and I browse with or without footprint.

  • i browse less. on my account. for instance maybe sites which i dun want to leave my footprints on. so i log off b4 visiting

  • 1) Do you browse less because of you know people can see your Footprints?
    yes,for a reason.I tried browsing randomly shortly after Footprint was launched.

    After a week, I found that a few of them block me (I know this because they didn’t have xanga lock or friends lock, and I can visit their blog after logged out…)

    I didn’t post comments or do anything bad on any of their sites, I just wandering around….

    I don’t want other people to block me, so I stop going to strangers site….

    2) Do you have your settings set to browse anonymously, or to Footprints Lock?
    no, no need.

  • I love the fact that I can see who came to my site, especially that I can see how they found my site. I enjoy being able to link back to them and check out thier site and or send a message to thank them personally for checking out my site and let them know if they have any questions just ask me. I browse more becuase of the footprints. Another good point for me here is if I browse other peoples sites and they check thier footprints and then link to my site…..hey they may find something there they like and I made a sale. A great advertizing ad that I didn’t have to do anything except surf the xanga  Cynthia Gowin aka CinsationalCreativeGifts 

  • When I started xanga, the footprints led me to all sorts of interesting people that eventually became my friends. If not for the footprint I would have never grown beyond 2 sisters, 2 sons, and my mom. There is some odd etiquette that says “don’t go there if you’re not going to comment” or to leave footprints without a comment is “rude”. Pshaw. Thumper’s Rule – if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all. Or what about the friend requests from out of the blue? I want to know who instead of gathering friends like picking dandelions. So I wander. Leaving footprints and rarely comments – I’m not worried. I welcome all footprints. I check out the wanderers to my site. Footprint=opportunity.

  • I like seeing who is visiting my site and what pages are referring my site.

  • I browse much less with footprints. I have a site counter and I can see who comes to me, but it mostly just makes me curious. I’d rather not see it (or be seen) all together.

  • I used to browse less, but that’s only because I would get annoying people who abused footprints and would come to my site and say “you visited but didn’t comment” they would call me out on it on my blog and I felt weird – I didn’t owe them a comment or anything!

    but yeah, now that I don’t even look at my footprints anymore, I just browse wherever. it does kind of hinder me from going through a lot of someones posts, but I’ve found ways to get around that haha

  • I love seeing the referral pages too!

  • I have footprints lock. Leaving my footprint behind doesn’t bother me at all.

  • no and no.

  •  I am never hesitant to visit a site because of footprints. 

    And I would like to point out that Footprints doesn’t work nearly as well as other “trackers”.  I see visitors on my external trackers that Footprints doesn’t ever pick up. 

  • I have no problem with browsing with the footprint feature. Why would someone care what I’m looking at? I don’t really pay attention to the traffic on my site either, most of the posts are public, but it’s mostly a private journal. =]

  • For a little while I did browse less, but when I realized how it can actually bring traffic to my page, I started to visit other people’s pages more.

  • i don’t even use my footprints that way.  i use as a brief overview of my blog’s activity while i’ve been away but i don’t go into detail to see who’s viewing my pages.  The way i feel is that if what i post is interesting enough, it will revoke a response.

  • I’m in favor of keeping the footprints. It’s the first thing I look at when I sign on. Not only is it a good way to tell who has dropped by but it also lets others know your looking at them even though you might not comment.

  • 1.) i browse more, i love to see that people have left footprints on my site so to repay, i visit around other peoples sites more

    2.) nope

  • I browse less because or footprints.  Once, I browsed this girl’s site and she blocked me.  I didn’t realize that I had gotten blocked so I logged onto my other xanga site and realized that yes, I had gotten blocked.  I didn’t even do anything.  I just looked around her xanga.  I didn’t comment on her xanga, I didn’t message her, I didn’t do ANYTHING.  I mean…wtf.  She then proceeded to threaten to report me because I had logged onto my other xanga site to look at her xanga after she had blocked me.  I don’t get it.  I didn’t do anything.  If she was uncomfortable with letting other people know her information, then she should have made all her posts private or something. 

    But yes.  That was the problem I ran into when I was blogging.
    Personally, I like the concept of footprints, but I don’t like knowing whose footprints I am looking at.  I think it just makes people paranoid.

  • I always sign in and leave footprints. I normally only look at footprints if I am wondering if someone had visited or if a rec produced traffic

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  • My two cents? Trackers are the things that started things going wrong with Xanga.  People started freaking out because unknown users were visiting their sites.  A small war broke out between several users because they were so paranoid that people were *gasp* looking at their blogs. 

     Footprints came along and made it worse. 

     I don’t use Xanga as much as I used to for two reasons:

     People looking at their footprints and getting nasty with me because I happened to glance at their site.

     A lot of the people I had made friends with have left.

     One of the most fun things I have ever done with Xanga was the random “bouncing” around.  I would just cruise through blogs, looking at the different people and looking for interesting reading material.

     Trackers and footprints killed all that.

     If people are so paranoid about who’s looking at their blog they should either stop blogging or use one of the many tools you have provided for security, such like friends lock, protected posting, etc.

  • the original idea was good
    being able to know whoever has been visiting your site
    but i think it has limited a lot of people to do so at the same time because they didn’t want to make others feel like they’re stalkerish
    it would be nice if we could be anonymous and still able to visit peoples site (i know some can still block those with anon on)
    hey, even if i am a stalker, privacy is still needed here

  • PLEASE KEEP FOOTPRINTS!!! its how I figured out my creepy ex was still “Stalking” me…even thou he left me alone on the phone he was checking my Xanga all the time. I really needed that information!!

    This is why we have Footprints Lock, duhhhh! don’t get rod of tthat either plz!

    i like the system just the way it is, i feel protected, if there ws no footprints and no footprints lock i’d feel too vulnerable to keep using Xanga honestly. this kind of protection is why i feel ok here and not LJ or whatev

  • 1) No

    2) Yes

  • I haven’t altered my site usage at all. Additionally, people know I’m on their sites. I like the feature, to be honest.

  • why would you browse less for fear of leaving footprints?  why be afraid of letting someone know you were on their page?  and heavens to betsy, if it’s really that big of a deal, just don’t sign in until you want to leave a comment.

  • meeeh i don’t care about footprints AT ALL!!!! :)

  • i care for my spiritual sense not any other, anyway i think it eccelent the way it is. human sense commit mistake coz they take decision for what they want it to be. pray and ask God to give you wisdom not to commit mistake in any of your decision.  ——–butterfly

  • Frickin answer this comment lil n00bs! Why did u erase BrainAnimeNetwork!?

  • I love footprints.. and seeing who is visiting my site. If they don’t want me to see. then don’t visit my site. I hate it when someone does visit, but then you go to check them out and they have their site on friends lock – should be a way to keep people who have friends lock on from looking at your page.. after all, if you can see me, I should be able to see you without having to connect to you.

    Just saying…

  • I don’t browse less. I like footprints.

  • I don’t browse less. I like to see the number of footprints I get, but I don’t always look to see who it was. If you end up getting rid of footprints, can you at least keep the counter? I personally like footprints.

  • I have never been worried about footprints–having them or leaving them.

  • I like knowing who’s visiting and I also like leaving footprints as well, in hopes of making new friends where I am too shy to speak up and drop them a comment lol.  :D

  • I enjoy footprints and everything about it!  :)

    I personally do not browse less nor do I use Footprints Lock or browse anonymously, although I greatly appreciate that we have the option of not using Footprints instead of being forced to use the feature.

  • Keep it just like it is…  I love this feature!

  • @MarkLupton - This is exactly what I wanted to say. Some xanga users complain about annoynous getting into their sites (like one of my friends). And they blocked them. This creates misunderstanding and make the users who are blocked feel unpleasant. 

    But why don’t they use fds lock,protected postings?? Due to lack of promotion?? Or inconveniency?? If they have used it, I’m sure things would be much better. I need to know who welcome annoynous before I browse different sites. I don’t want to irritate them.

  • 1.  no it doesn’t affect my browsing at all.

    2.  no footprints lock on but considering it.

  • personally footprints don’t make me browse less, and if I happen to be looking at them, I think I am more likely to click on the sites that are looking at me

  • Yes, footprints do make me browse less.

  • 1) Yes

    2) I did on my other account.

  • I don’t browse less, but that may be because I forgot about the footprints feature.  Anyway, I do find footprints interesting, and I hope you don’t remove them!

  • if i really don’t want them to know it’s me or where i’m looking, i sign out and type their address directly into the browser and surf from there.

  • I like footprints.  No, I don’t browse less because of footprints.

  • I don’t like footprints that I can’t follow !  sites I can’t get to that visited mine drive me nuts.  STOP THEM ! whosoever ‘they’ are….

  • Footprints are good. If I need to turn them off I can. However, it would be so great if we could have a bot count vs real xangans or vistors on our private pages. I’m still not sure what the purpose of bots are, but I don’t like them

  • I very much like to see who is browsing my blog and I don’t mind others seeing that I’ve been to visit.  I have made new contacts this way.

  • I browse the same amount. Xanga lock.. No but using this feature would remove the anxiety caused by others due to footprints wouldn’t it? I think that if it weren’t for footprints than this site wouldn’t be unique and I also think that we should have a choice. Just because a lot of people don’t like footprints, that leaves out the ones who strive for them! If I want to check out a site and don’t want to leave a trace, sometimes I’ll just check it out once I log out and (usually) I can get to that site anyway. If not I just check it out later anyway once I’m signed in. This is a feature that creates a wide user fan base and to take it away.. well, you just might lose a lot of fans.

  • I love footprints, it is one thing that myspace, facebook do not have, and it lets me know if ANYONE is reading my stuff… usually not BUTtttt PLEASE KEEEP FOOTPRINTS!

  • I don’t browse less at all, and I do love seeing who’s been visiting my site. Footprints is also a great tool for connecting with people who have dropped by my site. I can click on their username, see who they are and what they’re about–I found the majority of the people I’ve befriended on Xanga via Footprints. Also, Footprints is a good way to get your site out there if you’re poor like me and can’t afford plugz. Just drop by someone’s site and hopefully, they’ll use their Footprints and visit your site in return. Last but not least, like someone has already mentioned, it’s the first thing I check when I sign on.

  • There were always external solutions to find out who was visiting your site. Now, I just like the feature available to everyone.

    I for one, enjoy the fact that they know I visited their site, and so consequently, may come and visit my site as well (curiosity you know). But you have to watch out what kind of people to attract however…

  •  Love the footprints. Never understood the idea of not wanting people seeing me say hi.

  • personally I love the footprints and I browse just the same!

  • I don’t care about my footprints I browse the same. I like to know who hit my page so I can hit them back. So pretty much, I like the footprints feature. I’ve even gain friends through footprints. I remember back when I started xanga in like 2002 there was no feature and I wanted it. =)

  • I do still check my footprints because I like to see who visiting my blog,  still I dont use locks much,  only if I have a job interview depending what it was for whether I would turn the locks on.

  • Love footprints. I wouldn’t browse less, and I sure wouldn’t turn them off!

  • I don’t browse any less. I don’t think people moniter their footprints so close that they would notice me going. Even if they do, that is likely to bring them to my site. :D

  • I do not browse less, I’ve got nothing to hide/am no stalker. So I don’t care if I leave footprints. I let people surf anonymously. 

  • im more likely to comment because i know people will see my prints

  • i like footprints it lets the user know whos visiting your site.

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  • <table id=”bodyDrftID” class=”" border=”0″ cellpadding=”0″ cellspacing=”0″><tbody><tr><td id=”drftMsgContent”>Hello                   weahgloria@yahoo.com

    I
    read your profile today it was so good to me. I feel you are the only
    one missing in my entered life so I desired to stop on it and let you
    know that I am interested to be a friend first. I also believe that
    coming to you will be a probability of meeting that very thing that has
    been lacking in my entered life. I am a respect and responsible, I
    respect people also and believe if you contact me, I will give you a
    full introduction of my self-okay. I hope to hear from you soon.
    Remember, all the darkness in the world, can-not put out the light of a
    single candle as long as the light of Friendship shines bright in your heart, and (Remember the distance or color does not matter but Friendship matters alot in life)

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  • <table id=”bodyDrftID” class=”" border=”0″ cellpadding=”0″ cellspacing=”0″><tbody><tr><td id=”drftMsgContent”>Hello                   weahgloria@yahoo.com

    I
    read your profile today it was so good to me. I feel you are the only
    one missing in my entered life so I desired to stop on it and let you
    know that I am interested to be a friend first. I also believe that
    coming to you will be a probability of meeting that very thing that has
    been lacking in my entered life. I am a respect and responsible, I
    respect people also and believe if you contact me, I will give you a
    full introduction of my self-okay. I hope to hear from you soon.
    Remember, all the darkness in the world, can-not put out the light of a
    single candle as long as the light of Friendship shines bright in your heart, and (Remember the distance or color does not matter but Friendship matters alot in life)

    Cares for my future Friendship favor. please contact me with this mail weahgloria@yahoo.com

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  • <table id=”bodyDrftID” class=”" border=”0″ cellpadding=”0″ cellspacing=”0″><tbody><tr><td id=”drftMsgContent”>Hello                   weahgloria@yahoo.com

    I
    read your profile today it was so good to me. I feel you are the only
    one missing in my entered life so I desired to stop on it and let you
    know that I am interested to be a friend first. I also believe that
    coming to you will be a probability of meeting that very thing that has
    been lacking in my entered life. I am a respect and responsible, I
    respect people also and believe if you contact me, I will give you a
    full introduction of my self-okay. I hope to hear from you soon.
    Remember, all the darkness in the world, can-not put out the light of a
    single candle as long as the light of Friendship shines bright in your heart, and (Remember the distance or color does not matter but Friendship matters alot in life)

    Cares for my future Friendship favor. please contact me with this mail weahgloria@yahoo.com

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  • 1) No, I don’t think I browse any less. Actually, it might make be browse more because I know I can look at the page and my friends will think I read the post even if I didn’t… which is terrible and lying but I only do it when I’m busy and I plan on reading the post later.

    2) I’m pretty sure I’m set to browse anonymously… which means my strategy I mentioned before is useless… wow… I feel a little stupid now… *shame*

  • hmmmm.

    regards.

    trulytito.

    (tito dutta)

  • cut my acc please i dont wanana join this expensive net i got no money to pay so thank you god bless

  • This is a good idea in the long run. It builds a better community by rooting out users who tend to partake in activities that stunt the growth of Xanga.

  • I likeSome he is cute 

  • NO.  I do not browse less.  I don’t mind that others can see I was at their site, and I look at my footprints to see who is coming over to see mine.

  • 1) Do you browse less because of you know people can see your Footprints?
    I didn’t browse that often even before footprints were set up, so I don’t think that’s a huge cause for less people browsing others’ xangas.
    2) Do you have your settings set to browse anonymously, or to Footprints Lock?
    I have no idea, LOL.

  • @SparklingFaery - How do I turn the lock on

  • @quotesgirlx45 - On your private page, go to”Settings” then “Privacy Preferences” and click the “yes” bubble next to “Footprints Lock”… which is between Sign In Lock and Friends Lock.

  • You should turn-off the footprints. People may think we’re creeping them, rather that just checking out their site.  Facebook doesn’t have footprints :0

  • I have to admit that I don’t browse other Xangans sites as much as I should, but it is not because of Footprints. Mainly because of my time. I really love the Footprints because then I can see who and where people are coming from because I like to post on my Twitter account that I have a new post. Then I can see how many people have visited my site from Twitter. It really helps me keep track of the traffic and that is why I have stayed with Xanga because most of the free blogs do not give that feature. 

    It also doesn’t bother me when people see that I have visited their site because there is a chance they will check out mine to see who is looking at theirs. 

  • hi  ……………..^_^

  • hi  ……………..^_^

  • I don’t mind the footprints, I actually like it to get a grasp of who’s viewing my web site.

  • I like to be able to see who’s visiting my page, and and that people can see I visited theirs.

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